Product Review: Kissan Mixed Fruit Jam

Kissan mixed fruit jam has been around in India for a long time but now with many jam products in the market and a growing health awareness, we feel the brand must invest into making its product safer and healthier.

This product contains artificial chemical flavours and preservatives. The chemical names of these flavours and preservatives is not disclosed on the product label. We consider this to be irresponsible behaviour by the brand. Consumers have a right to know what is in their food. In addition, some people may be allergic to those ingredients and may face discomfort or even life threatening complications by consuming these ingredients.

The Kissan Mixed-fruit jam food label reveals a shocking 13.8 gms of sugar in 20 gms of the jam and packs 57 calories in these 20 grams, almost entirely from sugars. . This product is It is not recommended for the obese and diabetics. People wishing to avoid lifestyle diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypertension, high triglycerides etc. should avoid this product or eat it very sparingly.

The foodnetindia rating for this product :-Foodnetindia safety rating : 3 -(On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unsafe to very safe)

If Kissan Jam was frequently eaten as a food replacement or in very large quantities every day, we would give this a highly unsafe rating of 1 or 2. However, as it is usually eaten in servings of 20-40 grams, despite the high sugar content, we will give it a rating of 3. This is less than the threshold of 5 and still unsafe because of the (unknown) artificial chemical preservatives and artificial flavouring substances used in the product.

The Jam is very sugary at 13.8 gms of sugar in 20 gms of jam, it seems that the manufacturers intended sugar to be the main ingredient and not fruit.

Sodium salt of sulphurous acid is a white, non-stable powder, which reacts with oxygen to form sodium sulphate. In acidic conditions it forms sulphurous acid, which acts as a preservative. It is used as a preservative in some products and may be used as a bleaching agent. It is used to preserve onions, alcoholic beverages, bakery products, fruit juices, potato products. Due to its oxidising effect, it may reduce the vitamin content in products. It is reduced in the liver to harmless sulphate and excreted in the urine. People who are intolerant towards natural sulphites should also avoid added sulphites (IN221-228).

Azorubine (Carmoisine):IN 122

Synthetic azo dye is a red food colour. Very soluble in water and since it is an azo dye, it may elicit intolerance in people intolerant to salicylates. Additionally, it is a histamine liberator, and may intensify symptoms of asthma. In combination with benzoates, it is also implicated in hyperactivity in children.

This food product does not specify which flavours or flavouring substances have been used. The flavours should be specified as some of them have serious side effects and may not be suitable for infants, pregnant women or people who are allergic. We believe that it is not responsible behaviour for a brand to avoid clearly stating what ingredients have been used.

By not specifying what these flavours and substances are, we are forced to consider what they are hiding and why would they be so reluctant to mention what they have used in the food product!

By this behaviour, these manufacturers expose people to possible allergens or toxins that could be avoided if consumers knew what they were.

Permitted Class II Preservatives

This food product does not specify which preservatives have been used. The names should be specified as some of them have serious side effects and may not be suitable for infants, pregnant women or people who are allergic. We believe that it is not responsible behaviour for a brand to avoid clearly stating what ingredients have been used.

By not specifying what these substances are, we are forced to consider what they are hiding and why would they be so reluctant to mention what they have used in the food product!

By this behaviour, these manufacturers expose people to possible allergens or toxins that could be avoided if consumers knew what they were.

Sugar

Kissan Jam has 13.8 gms of sugar per 20 gms serving of it which is very high and also it does not specify which sugar has been used. This product is definitely not for diabetics and obese people. The source of sugar is not mentioned on the food label and is important because different sugars have different metabolic effects. For example, Sucrose (Cane Sugar) is very different from Fructose (Fruit Sugar). Some foods use high fructose corn syrup which may be harmful in much lower quantities than sucrose. We believe that it is not responsible behaviour for a brand to not clearly state what ingredients have been used.

Sugar is a carbohydrate found naturally in a host of different foods from lactose in milk to the fructose in fruit and honey. In fact, we need some sugar in our diets to supply ready energy to fuel our muscles and keep our brains active. The problem is that many processed foods have added sugar which supplies energy in the form of calories – and very little else. This means our body has to draw on the nutrients from the rest of our diet to process it and this can affect our health, including our immunity – leaving us more prone to bugs and colds. A high intake of sugar causes our blood sugar levels to shoot up, giving us that feel-good ‘high’ followed by a crashing slump which leaves us tired, irritable and craving more sugary foods. It’s a vicious cycle that may be contributing to our weight problems as well as health concerns like diabetes and heart disease.

Sulphur dioxide

Most All jams including Kissan Jams contain Sulphur dioxide which is used a necessity during processing, Thethe national standards prescribe maximum limit of 40 ppm. In the sulphuring process, raw fruits and fruit pulps are exposed to sulphur dioxide fumes as sulphur dioxide helps to maintain the quality and nutrition of foods during drying and storage.

However, during this process, it destroys Vitamin B1 content and may cause severe reaction on consumption. We are not sure if this is also used in Kissan jams and will assume that this is indeed the case unless we receive a clarification from the brand otherwise.

Other ingredients that are in the product but not a major source of concern in our opinion are:

Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information. foodnetindia encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.